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Pumpkin Pecan Cookies Recipe

I did warn you the pumpkin blitz was coming. Get excited, because from now until the end of October it will be pumpkin everything over here! Gotta get it all in while I still can, right?

I feel like I’m a little late to the party this year. While I was waiting until October to start posting pumpkin recipes, tons of bloggers had started posting them back at the beginning of September! Personally, I think that’s a little early. What about all the great apple and pear treats? Did everyone forget apple season? Poor apples. Always getting the short end of the autumn recipe stick. I did my part though! Did you guys check out my Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Granola? I still have a whole ton left over from a huge batch I made. It’s like fall in a bowl.

October is my favorite month of the year. Although, I may be a tad biased since it’s also my birthday month! 25 this year… ew. We’re not going to talk about that just yet. This year October is shaping up to be one of busiest months I’ve had in a long time. All good things though! I have a whole host of pumpkin recipes lined up to share with you (Yay!), which I’ve been trying like a mad woman to make and photograph and complete within the next week and a half. After Thanksgiving (when I plan to stuff myself full of turkey, stuffing, gravy, and pie), I’m heading on a two-week business trip to Toronto and Montreal. It’s a bit of a business/pleasure holiday because I plan to do a little sightseeing as well. Although I’ve been to the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, I’ve only been as far as Alberta in my own country! Isn’t that crazy? I’m planning to rectify that this month.

Are any of you from Montreal or Toronto? Can I pick your brain for a second? What are the things I have to see? More importantly, where do I go for great food?

While I’m in Montreal, I’ll be celebrating my birthday with a bunch of other amazing Canadian food bloggers at the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference! This will be my very first blogging conference, and I’m really excited to learn more about this blogging thing and jot down as many tips and tricks as the pros will give me. I’ll be that weird girl at the back of the room with her notepad and pen, studiously copying down what the speakers are saying word-for-word. <– nerd.

I imagine this month will fly by for me and then we’ll be into November and starting to think about Christmas goodies! Too much, too soon? Okay, I yield.

Let’s talk about these pumpkin cookies though, shall we? These are some of the softest cookies I’ve ever created and had the pleasure of eating. They are so light and fluffy it’s like biting down on a cloud. They’re not a particularly chewy cookie, but I can forgive them for that because they’re just so darn tasty. They have MAJOR pumpkin spice flavor, if you’re into that sort of thing. (But really, who isn’t?) The maple candied pecan is just the cherry on top, so to speak. It adds a little crunch and sweetness to combat the softness and spice of the cookie. It’s a perfect fall combo!

If you make my Soft Pumpkin Pecan Cookies recipe, be sure to take a photo and tag me @onlinefoodblog on Instagram or Twitter. I would love nothing more than to see your creations!

Instructions

For the pecans, prepare a large cookie sheet covered with a layer of non-stick paper.

Heat the butter, sugar, and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and simmering.

Allow the mixture to simmer for 1 minute then remove from the heat and add the pecans.

Toss to coat and then pour the pecans onto the prepared cookie sheet.

Quickly separate each pecan half using a butter knife so they do not touch.

Do not move the pecans with your bare hands!

Dust the pecans with the cinnamon and allow to cool and harden while you make the cookies.

In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice until combined.

Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy and pale, about 4 minutes.

Add the pumpkin purée to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until incorporated.

Finally, beat in the egg and vanilla. Switch the mixer to slow speed and add 2/3 of the flour mixture.

Once that portion is combined, add the rest of the flour and slowly increase the speed until it comes together into a damp dough.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and line two cookie sheets with non-stick paper.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it into 24–28 1-1/2 tbsp size balls (about the size of a ping pong ball) and place them on the cookie sheets.*

Press a cooled candied pecan half into the top of each dough ball. Bake the cookies for 15–18 minutes, or until the bottoms are a light golden brown.

Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

These cookies will keep fresh stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

*I found wetting my hands slightly made for easier rolling. You can refrigerate the dough for longer -- up to overnight -- to allow the flavors to intensify before baking. If you're in a hurry, 1 hour will be fine.

Hi, I'm Lee-Ann. Thanks for visiting my food blog. I am a foodie, traveler and a cat lover. After reading food blog after food blog I decided I needed my own. I realized that running a food is not easy thus I ask other foodies to join me.

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About Me

Hi, I'm Lee-Ann. Thanks for visiting my food blog. I am a foodie, traveler and a cat lover. (not necessarily in that that order). After reading food blog after food blog, after food blog - I thought - You know what I need it a food blog of my own. Why not - I can cook and I can bake. Learn More